Can Peyton Manning Cure Obesity in Indiana?

[Pat Coyle]

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is lending his name and number to a new effort aimed at tackling childhood obesity.

Manning, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent’s , and several other partners including Ball State University helped kick off Project 18 at the Christel House Academy Monday morning.

These efforts by the star QB are certainly noble, and they definitely got a lot of press coverage yesterday, but will celebrity endorsement really make a difference in solving this growing problem over the long run? If not, what will?? Share your thoughts here

[Michael R.]

Get serious. The guy probably doesn't even know that fat cells are different than muscle cells and neither can morph into the other (a common myth).

Will it help? Probably not. What would help? A zillion different things. We can start by having the USDA and large food companies to stop telling consumers lies about what is/isn't in the food we consume. An example? When the FDA made into law a few years ago that all foods which contained trans fat could be labeled as "trans fat FREE" as long as it didn't contain more than .5 grams of trans fats per serving. So, just because you bought the "trans fat FREE" crackers at the grocery the other night doesn't mean they are free of trans fats. They could very well contain up to .5 grams of trans fats per serving. Now, why on earth would the FDA/USDA/whoever do this? All of the research I've done on trans fats shows how bad they are for the human body so why would the government allow any trans fats into our foods at all?

Quite simply, Pat, I don't forsee a solution to the ever-growing problem of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, etc. that plagues this country. When it comes to doing what is best for our health, we are lazy. Rather then do some preventative maintenance, we'll just wait 'til the shit hits the fan and we've been diagnosed with some kind of medical malady then we'll start exercising and watching what we eat (best case scenario I suppose). In my experiences, I just don't get the sense that the averave American cares about his/her health until things are dire.


As I'm typing this I'd be remissed if I didn't mention this article I saw on Yahoo a few minutes ago. A prime example of how screwed up our priorities are in this country.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090616/ap_on_re_us/us_texting_champion...

[Pat Coyle]

I don't disagree with you. I was on the stair master the other day watching the TV with no sound as I always do in the health club, and I saw all the stories about Peyton and this project, and it got me thinking...there are a lot of athletes and movie stars getting publicly involved with various causes. Most of them, like Peyton, are very sincerely trying to help and I think it's great that people will contribute their celebrity to help raise awareness for good causes. But after the cameras are gone and the lights fade, will the real work get done? And if it doesn't get done, was the PR stunt really worth the effort? I'm not so sure...on the one hand, if just one kid decides to quit eating candy bars because a football player said so, then that's great. But as you've pointed out, what we really need are long-term behavior adjustments on a massive scale, which seems (almost) impossible. Still, I'm glad people like Manning are doing what they can do to try and help...I imagine if more of us did what we could do to model and encourage healthy eating, for example, more kids would get the message.

[Michael R.]

I think Peyton is great and he seems to be following in Reggie Miller's footsteps in regard to what he does for the community of Indianapolis. I'm just a skeptic is all. But, it's better than doing nothing at all; which is what we typically see in regard to health and fitness in this country as a whole. Some might say it has to start with the parents, and while that may be partly true, it really needs to start at the top with the aforementioned govt. agencies that I mentioned. Does the average American know about that trans-fat law I mentioned? Heck no they don't. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The concept of eating healthier and exercising may seem simple enough, but I've seen up close and personal just how difficult it is for most people to make these lifestyle changes. Consider this: up to 80% of people who purchase gym memberships never go or only go once a month. That is a fact, and a sad one.

[Genie Goykhberg]

Money is always helpful - no doubt. Celebrity names might be handy as well. All these together (along with Governor Health Initiatives) could make some difference if those who will execute the program come up with a strong long-term plan how to approach parents, schools, and organizations.

Education is a key word in this problem. I am often shocked to see how parents feed their kids (babies!!!) - and that is what forms the habits that kill the population of overweighed people.

I understand I cannot blame parents... they just don’t know any better! That how they were brought up in a first place!

Blaming marketing will not get us far anyway. I dont think I can impact whole lot what USDA doing, what I can have an impact on - every individual's life I touch I coach them to be responsible for their own well being. I teach them how to think analitically what is good and what is not for them and their kids.

For instance - if my dogs eat one brand of carrots and dont eat other - I buy and eat what they eat! Because they are much more instinctive then we are.

Unfortunately more people care more what kind of gasoline they put in their tank than what kind of food (quality, quantity and combination that alone can be deadly) they put in their mouth.
And lets face it - whatever we put in our mouth works whether with us or against us!

And it can really be small improvement to start with
- no Ice Cold Drink with your meal! Yet it seems such a Standard in American culture.
- cut down on coffee! We are more acidic than this nation can handle anyway!
- Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeets - well... that is big! Candy=Fat.

The topic of Indiana weight per capita needs to have a priority for our community! At least for those who Cares!

I would say it is a Bigger Idea than might be anything else.
Health is Wealth

[Chris Lucas]

There is a simple solution. Eat Right and Move More.

Peyton might actually do good for the cause of childhood obesity in that he will lend a voice to a growing (no pun intended) public health issue. The costs associated with childhood obesity and obesity in general are huge. Sure it might not cure it over night but more needs to happen to make sure that we do not end up a nation of fat people who are a burden on the economy, health system, etc.

It has to be a mult-level approach (Parents, Public Health, Private Partnerships, Gov, Employers, etc) but starting with simple steps is only going to help. Peyton provides another "voice" to the issue and hopefully more and more will take notice.

[Marty posch]

I agree Chris. I think too many times people sit back and say "we cant solve this issue" and rip on people who are trying to do things. This is soooo multi faceted. In saying that not every attempt needs to be coordinated with all the rest. This is one step and I think that it will definitely help, even on a small level. Everyone wants to hit the home run, when doing things that help people and children in general , in any way, are important.

Nice work Peyton.

[Michael R.]

"we do not end up a nation of fat people who are a burden on the economy, health system, etc."

Too late. It's already reached critical mass, Chris. We are going to see heart disease, type 2 diabetes, kidney diseases, etc. increase dramatically over the course of the next decade or so. The wheels are already in motion.

[Chris Lucas]

Agree that the wheels are in motion...but it is not incurable...that is the sad part. also, I do not agree that FDA labels re trans fat etc are the root of the problem. Is it ridiculous? Yes. But really the problem is that we make it too difficult on people. Counting calories, carbs, Trans Fats, yadda, yadda. Instead of worrying about calories burned body fat % etc we just need to get people into healthy mindsets.

Eat a vegetable or a fruit with every meal. Show people what a true portion size etc. Too many people feel that it is too difficult and that the only way to get in shape is by joining a gym and counting carbs or calories. It's not. We just need to move more. Get people walking for 10-15-30 minutes a day.

Peyton and others can help create a fun environment for kids that also provides education...

[Brian Huff]

I'll simply lend a quick example of how far the problem of obesity runs. My nephew is attending a local township high school here in town and he recently told me that he's taking gym during summer school. I shared stories of the fun I had when I took gym class over the summer back home and the great exercise I got. He promptly stopped me and said that his gym class was online. What? Online? How do you take gym online? Where's the accountability? Where's the physical activity?

As for how to solve the problem of childhood obesity? Peyton Manning's endorsement is a positive, but it will not solve the problem. There needs to be a shift in our social consciousness of how we go about our day to day activities. I think it all starts with the parents. Turn off the TV and the video games and go outside.

[Michael R.]

Yeah, it's amazing how so many so-called electives are getting the boot in high schools across the country. But, gym online? How does that even work? I guess your nephew is supposed to do the physical activity on his own and then report it. Whatever township that is they should be ashamed of themselves. I find it quite ironic that a township school is allowed to do such a thing yet Mitch Daniels champions the INShape program. Mitch Daniels would earn major kudos from me if he mandated that every school-aged child participate in some form of physical activity for 30 minutes/day for every day that he/she is in school.

I would be really interested to see some "online gym" statistics. Are these kids really exercising? What are their body fat percentages? etc.

[Nancy Lee]

For my two cents worth, I commend Peyton Manning for lending his name against childhood obesity and for healthy families. This is a multi-faceted problem that has been a generation or two in the making, and to undo it will take time as well as multiple efforts using many different techniques in order to begin to produce results. It is all too easy to dismiss just one program as being ineffective. In isolation, it probably is.

Project 18 and efforts akin to it are, in their essence, part of a trend that has started as we have awakened to the knowledge that our kids are fat and so are we, and we better do something about it. The change has begun. False starts, missteps, failed and ineffective programs bring us ever closer to those programs that DO effect change, that DO get people to sit up and notice, and people will begin to make small changes.

My preference is to look at the bigger picture and the bigger, positive consequences behind programs such as this.

[Brendan Crews]

How much Project 18 actually helps is up for debate, but I think increased publicity of the issue is rarely a bad thing. For the first time in 25 years the childhood obesity rate (ages 2-19) stopped increasing and it also had very minor increases in 2006 and 2007. They can't know for sure why but many of the researchers think that "rising awareness of the problem among parents, schools, community groups, and government and privately funded programs" are large contributors. This project provides awareness and private funding (in terms of endorsement etc...) so let's keep taking these small steps forward and then wait for the statistics to prove or disprove their effectiveness.